Fanless Performance Computers MIC-7000


    Computers of the MIC-7000 series are compact and at the same time high-performance industrial computers with fully passive cooling , while equipped with full-fledged Intel processors of the eighth generation and modern chipsets. A distinctive feature of the MIC-7000 computers is a massive radiator, which occupies the entire upper part of the case and provides heat dissipation without the use of ventilation grilles and fans.

    To solve a variety of demanding tasks, the configuration of computers can be expanded. The proprietary i-Module expansion modules allow you to install any PCI-e x16 boards, including full-sized GPUs, for building machine learning systems and launching neural networks.

    MIC-7000 they are used in unmanned vehicles as a central data processing server, while simultaneously processing high-resolution video using video capture cards, performing neural network calculations, and controlling peripherals using I / O ports and industrial interfaces.


    Fanless cooling system



    Industrial computers are often used in harsh environments: temperature extremes, pollution, and dust. Traditional systems of active air cooling in such conditions can quickly become clogged and fail, and ventilation openings become a source of penetration of debris and large particles. In computers of the MIC-7000 series , a completely passive cooling system is used, eliminating equipment failure due to cooler failure. Such a system is much less likely to require maintenance and is completely silent.

    Industrial Interfaces and I / O Ports


    For compatibility with classic industrial protocols, the MIC-7000 computers have built-in industrial RS-232/422/485 interfaces and general-purpose digital I / O ports. The iDoor modules are also supported, which we talked about in the article “ Modular Embedded Computers of the UNO-1000/2000 Series ”, with which you can add support for proprietary protocols such as PROFIBUS, EtherCAT, PROFINET and others.


    Flex I / O Expansion Modules


    The modules allow you to add additional connectors to the front panel, such as HDMI, DVI, RS-232, LAN, etc. using passive extension cords connected to the motherboard.
    General Purpose I / O Modules (GPIO) AIIS-DIO32-00A1E and 98R1750090E are available. Flex I / O Extension Module Table (clickable)



    Trusted Platform Module (TPM)



    For motherboards without an integrated TPM module, there is a remote TPM module PCA-TPM-00B1E, which allows you to integrate this functionality into most MIC-7000 computers. This module is intended for systems with increased requirements for hardware protection, for checking the bootloader of the OS and storing private keys.

    CFast Cards


    The MIC-7700 supports CFast cards with a high-speed, hot-swappable SATA interface. Cards of this type are used in modern cameras Blackmagick, Canon, Arri, and can be used as a compact replacement for SSD-drives.


    Proprietary i-Module Expansion Modules


    Industrial systems often require highly specialized hardware in the form of PCI-e cards. The i-Module expansion modules are an external PCI-e bus extension in a specialized case that connects to a MIC-7000 series computer to form a single system unit.

    There are modules in the form of 1.2.4 PCI-e x16 / x8 / x4 ports, as well as regular PCI for connecting obsolete boards that can be found in machine tools and automation systems. To connect boards with high power consumption, such as productive graphics cards, there are modules with additional power lines, such as the MIC-75G20 .
    Modules can also have trays for installing additional HDD / SSD disks.



    I-Module MIC-75G20 expansion module with computerThe MIC-7700 supports PCI-e cards with a total power of up to 600W. Has two drive trays and an optional power supply

    Video: installing i-Module


    The installation procedure for the i-Module is no more complicated than installing the board in a regular ATX-case: for this, the bottom cover of the MIC-770 computer is removed and then docked with the expansion board.


    Video: installing i-Module on a real example

    Case: Brake Disc Quality Testing System


    On the basis of the MIC-7500 computer and the MIC-75M20 module , a serial station for testing the quality of automotive brake discs was launched. The disk is mounted on a rotating axis and untwisted, speed data is controlled by the PCIE-1802 ADC card . A special hammer, like a gramophone needle, reads the smallest vibrations on the surface of a disc using a PCIE-1816 card with 16 analog inputs, a sampling frequency of 1MS / s and a resolution of 16 bits. The collected data is transmitted to the analysis system, which generates a report on the quality of the disk.


    Case: drone controller


    The task was to build an integrated data processing system from different sensors for autonomous car systems. To process the video stream in real time with a minimum delay, cameras connected via SDI via the DVP-7640E capture board were used , since the use of IP cameras introduced an unacceptably high delay - in the region of 400-500 ms. Video from cameras is processed by the “machine vision” system, for acceleration of which the NVIDIA Tesla P4 graphics processor is used.

    Schematic diagram of the components of an unmanned vehicle system based on the MIC-7700Q computer

    Car electronic systems such as the engine controller (ECU), various sensors and the driver assistance system (ADAS) are accessible via the CAN bus. To connect the computer to the CAN bus, the iDoor module PCM-26D2CA is used.

    The main components of the system:

    • MIC-7700Q - fanless computer with 7th generation Intel processor, Q170 / H110 chipset
    • MIC-75S20 - i-Module expansion module with 1x PCIe x16, 1x PCIe x4, 2x HDD / SSD slots
    • PCM-26D2CA - iDoor expansion module with CAN bus interface
    • DVP-7640E - video capture card for 8 SDI channels, with H.264 hardware codec
    • TESLA-P4 - NVIDIA Tesla P4 Accelerator


    Conclusion


    The MIC-7000 is a compact solution for a wide range of applications. Thanks to passive cooling and an extended range of operating temperatures, they can be used in adverse conditions. The i-Module, iDoor and Flex I / O expansion modules allow you to configure any options for a wide variety of tasks, which is a much more flexible solution compared to most embedded systems in which the expansion potential is often limited.

    References


    Our other articles:
    UNO-1000/2000 Series Modular Embedded Computers
    SmartMotion Industrial 4G Routers
    Connect Serial Interfaces over IP
    Advantech FPM-7002 Modular Industrial Monitors

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